Friday July 17, 2015

Well it’s the end of my first week as Interim CEO at Diversity Role Models and I wanted to share a couple of thoughts.

I was drawn to this role because the work that DRM does is so important. I was a teenager in 1980s Britain, and I struggle to think of positive LGBT role models for us back then. If DRM had existed, maybe my own path growing up might have been different. Because of this, I'm determined to bring my experience to the organisation to build and strengthen what’s here.

On my second day I was in representational mode at a lovely Government Equalities Office reception. There I was delighted to hear the Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities, Nicky Morgan, confirm her government’s commitment to supporting work to end homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. I was also very pleased to have the chance to meet colleagues from other charities working on similar issues.

Later in the week, I visited a secondary school in Kent to observe a morning of workshops featuring two role models from our fantastic partner, PwC. It was wonderful to witness for myself the way we work and the effect on the 96 young people who were involved that came from chatting with the role models and each other about language and stereotypes.

One quote from one of the role models will stay with me:

LGBT issues are not ‘them’ issues. They are ‘us’ issues because they affect everyone. They affect what kind of world all of us want to have.

It’s a great team here at Diversity Role Models with the energy and potential to achieve so much more and I’m really excited to be part of it.